Ranil wants report on student, police clash

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a report into the clash between the police and students at Ward Place yesterday.

The Prime Minister has told Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana to order an investigation into the incident through the IGP and submit a report on the findings.

The police fired tear gas and water towards hundreds of?students protesting near the University Grants Commission (UGC) at Ward Place yesterday.

Students of the Higher National Diploma in Engineering (HNDE) staged the protest and some of them had attempted to enter the UGC premises.

A tense situation arose as the students blocked traffic along Ward Place and demanded attention to some of their concerns.

The police then fired tear gar and used water cannons to disperse the protesters. Some journalists covering the protest were also assaulted.

The police later arrested 39 students. Several students were injured in the incident. (Colombo Gazette)